The Quest for Minnesota Statehood in the Shadow of Slavery

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By the late 1850s, slavery had evolved into a contentious and divisive issue in the United States. As pioneers in Minnesota sought statehood between 1857-58, the nation was grappling with this profound moral and political dilemma.

Pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions engaged in heated debates, sometimes even resorting to physical confrontations. The crux of the debate was the potential expansion of slavery into newly acquired territories. Efforts to broker another national compromise repeatedly met with resistance. The Republican Party, which was gaining traction in the North with its stance against the spread of slavery, was pitted against the Democrats. The latter had a stronghold in both the North and South and sought a more moderate approach to the issue.

Minnesota's journey to statehood was hindered by the South's apprehensions about adding another free state in the North. Henry M. Rice, a fervent supporter of Minnesota's statehood in Washington, D.C., conveyed the deep divisions he witnessed. In a 1858 letter to his friend William H. Welch, Rice expressed the rift among Democrats as one "that nothing but death can wipe out." He noted, "The sectional hate is very strong."

Yet, it's important to understand that the North's stance wasn’t universally altruistic. Many Northerners were wary of African Americans, fearing that emancipated slaves might migrate northwards, taking up job opportunities. Such sentiments led states like Indiana, Iowa, and later Illinois to enact laws banning the migration of any black individuals, whether enslaved or free. While Ohio once had similar laws, they were revoked in 1849. Interestingly, an effort to introduce a "Black Law" in Minnesota, which would require individuals of African descent to post a bond to reside in the territory, was defeated in a 10-6 vote in the legislature in 1854.

As Minnesota navigated its path to statehood, it did so in a nation deeply divided by the issue of slavery and racial prejudice.

In the heart of Minnesota, particularly in the small town of Red Wing, the contentious issue of slavery left an indelible mark on local politics. This debate resonated deeply within the town's media landscape, where the city's two leading newspapers, William Colvill's Democrat-supporting Sentinel and Lucius Hubbard's Republican-tilted Goodhue County Republican, took center stage. These editors fiercely countered each other's stances with zest and vigor.

Colvill, a staunch Democrat, praised the rise of Illinois senator Stephen Douglas as the top contender for the 1860 Democratic presidential bid. A firm believer in finding a middle ground on the slavery issue, Douglas had infamously expressed his views on race in 1858, proclaiming, "This government... was made by white men, for white men and their posterity, to be governed by white men." Chiding the Republican supporters, Colvill dubbed them "Black Republicans" and accused them of advocating radically for African Americans.

In a notable August 1859 edition of the Sentinel, Colvill took a swipe at Republicans opposing the controversial Dred Scott decision, echoing the Democratic sentiment, "The Constitution did not make slaves citizens." He further questioned how, based on this reasoning, the Scott decision could possibly be unconstitutional. This line of thought closely aligned with another Democrat-affiliated paper in St. Paul, which opined that Republican editors seemingly placed the concerns of three million slaves above those of thirty million white citizens.

As tensions flared, Colvill controversially referred to the slavery debate as "the nigger question." He lambasted politicians for incessantly focusing on this "eternal nigger" topic. In the tumultuous lead-up to the 1860 elections, Colvill threw his support behind Douglas, firmly believing him to be the only national figure capable of staving off a potential civil war.

Colvill's strong sentiments against African Americans were unmistakably clear in his Sentinel publications. For instance, an August 1859 issue featured a derogatory article from the Chicago Times, detailing accounts of escaped slaves, painting them in a less than favorable light.

In Red Wing's Sentinel, a disturbing narrative emerged when it recounted events from Chicago, where alleged slave catchers pursued escaped slaves. As per the Democratic-leaning Chicago Times, these captors were keen on seizing the fugitives to claim bounties. Some of these slave catchers were apprehended by police and faced a tribunal surrounded by an irate African American audience. The Times' derogatory depiction of these African Americans, and the subsequent description of the unfolding drama, starkly displayed the deplorable state of political discourse surrounding slavery. The Times painted a grim picture, stating, "The room was filled with Africans of varying shades, each exhibiting distinct physical features, while policemen stood guard to prevent any potential altercation."

Further underscoring the racial bias of the era, the Sentinel's "Wit and Wisdom" column routinely carried derogatory jokes. While multiple ethnicities were subjects of ridicule, African Americans bore the brunt of the mockery. These mocking tales, imitating the speech of illiterate slaves, reeked of crass stereotyping. Such "humor," common in American newspapers back then, only deepened racial prejudices, especially among Northern readers who seldom interacted with African Americans.

Perusing these snippets from the Sentinel's "Wit and Wisdom" through a 21st-century lens is unsettling, revealing the deeply entrenched racism of the time.